


winter in east highland, california

by lostnfound14



Category: Euphoria (TV 2019)
Genre: Alcohol, Drabble, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, F/M, Family, Feelings, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:40:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26125882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostnfound14/pseuds/lostnfound14
Summary: the stories of a few teenagers trying to get by in a world that hates them.-a euphoria drabble series
Relationships: Ali & Rue Bennett, Cassie Howard & Lexi Howard, Gia Bennett & Rue Bennett, Rue Bennett & Fezco
Kudos: 20





	1. i couldn't hate you if i tried

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"I'm so happy."_
> 
> _"I know."_
> 
> -
> 
> Fez sits by Rue after Mouse leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! so this is my first time writing something for the euphoria fandom, after lurking on here for a few months. i've always wanted to write something here but i couldn't find the motivation. a pairing that's always fascinated me was fez/rue. most people see them as a big brother/little sister kind of thing, but i've always had this headcanon that fez had some feelings for her and that's why he's so damn protective of her instead of literally anyone else (aside from ashtray and his grandma). anyway, this is also my first time consciously trying to follow the rules of drabble fiction! i hope you guys like this :)

Watching people get high is pretty funny, mostly because you're not supposed to laugh.

There's a line, though, where it stops being so funny.

Rue crossed that line a few minutes ago.

Fez looks down at the half-asleep girl whose head rests on his thigh.

The only signs that she's still alive are the small puffs of air that escape her nose and tickle his leg.

_Why did she have to bring her dumb ass here?_

He sighs tiredly, running a hand over his face.

He just wishes they could find themselves in a position like this under different circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you guys liked this! it didn't take me long to write this (obviously) but it felt good to get something out about these two characters, who i adore very much. i have a WIP about these two as well, but i'm postponing working on it for the time being because i currently don't have the energy to write much. thank you for reading this, and if you enjoyed, please leave kudos and possibly a comment letting me know what you think!


	2. just for tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"How do you decide who you want to hook up with?"_
> 
> _"I don't know, they usually just come over here."_
> 
> _"But what if they don't?"_
> 
> _"Then go and do whoever the fuck you want."_
> 
> -
> 
> Cassie and Lexi, lonely but together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! so this is the second drabble in this collection that may grow with time, because i need to get _some _writing done if i really want to feel productive in a time that pushes you in the opposite direction. this one is centered around cassie and lexi, who both deserved far better than what they got in season 1. they just want to be happy. enjoy.__

Lexi's always disliked her mother for rarely having a sober moment ever since their dad left.

And now, look at her, so drunk off her ass she can't read the sign thirty feet away that says "East Highland Winter Formal," according to Cassie. They're the only ones left at the table. It's lonelier than either of them will readily admit.

But Cassie is smiling and even laughing a little bit at Lexi's expense and, to be honest, that girl deserves to be happy more than anyone else.

Lexi might never drink again, but just for tonight, it isn't so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you all liked this :) leave kudos and a comment if you did!


	3. your wounds look like mine, but fresher

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Let me know when you want to stop trying to kill yourself... and eat some pancakes."_
> 
> -
> 
> Ali can see right through Rue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in my opinion, ali was one of the more interesting characters from season 1. he was smart, he had a sharp tongue, and he was badass. the quote in the summary is probably one of my favorite quotes from the entire show. i hope he gets some more attention in season 2, if there is a season 2.

A few years of sobriety, preceded by a fuck-ton of years of addiction, have made Ali cynical.

He's seen people who suffer in truths and revel in lies.

That girl, Rue, who decides to stand up every few weeks and announce that she's "staying clean even though it's hard," is the second kind. And she believes that nobody else gets why she lies about it.

Ali used to believe the same thing, when he was still married and didn't have to count the days until he would see his kids again.

But now he knows better, and she should too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! leave a kudos and comment if you did :)


	4. people look at me but they never see me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"She's supposed to look up to you."_
> 
> -
> 
> Sometimes, Gia feels invisible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these are actually really fun to write. while they aren't exactly easy to trim (or tell a somewhat complete story in), they're a really good exercise in getting into a character's head without having to dig too deep. this one is about gia, and how much she's pushed aside for the sake of leslie or rue, who are almost always at each other's throats.

Mom and Rue always talk about Gia like she isn't in the room with them.

Like she's just a bargaining chip, something to argue over whenever they can't overcome their own differences.

She hates it, but she loves them more.

That's what makes it so hard to hear them scream at each other.

Gia hadn't really bonded with Dad like Rue had, but, sometimes, she wishes that he was still around.

Maybe things wouldn't be so tense and awful around the house.

Maybe Rue wouldn't have overdosed.

Maybe Mom wouldn't cry when she's alone in her room at night.

Maybe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked! you know the drill :)


	5. getting rid of gangrene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Your whole family is so fucking weird."_
> 
> -
> 
> Maddy does the world a favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyooooo! this one is for maddy, our favorite bad bitch and sufferer of stockholm syndrome. in this one, she finally does the right thing. enjoy.

Maddy steps out of her truck, shouldering her purse and gripping it tightly.

The night air is cold and unwelcoming, and she almost takes it to mean that she should turn around, go home, and berate herself for even thinking that this was a good idea in the first place.

But as she looks down into the depths of her bag where the disk sits, burning a hole into it, she knows that she's doing the world a favor.

Cal Jacobs is a fucking pedophile, and pedophiles deserve to burn in Hell.

That part of Catholicism, she can agree with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked this. honestly, maybe comments are too much to ask for, but kudos are plenty nice. thanks for reading.


	6. double-edged sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"She hated her life. Not because it was bad, but because when you hated your brain and your body, it was hard to enjoy the rest."_
> 
> -
> 
> Jules is confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyoooo. so this one is about jules, who is actually one of my least favorite characters in the show. i can definitely sympathize with her for all of the fucked up shit she's been through, but i didn't like the way she treated rue.
> 
> i can get into a whole debate about how rue and jules were awful for each other, but i'll keep it short:
> 
> jules only wanted a friend. that's why she hooks up with anna; she thinks that's what friends do.
> 
> rue only wanted another addiction. that's why she goes right back to pills after jules leaves.
> 
> they were a pretty bad pairing, if i do say so myself, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. anyway, enjoy this piece.

Jules's life has been a never-ending list of fuck-ups and traumatic experiences.

The question she constantly asks herself, though, is: Is it all self-inflicted, or is the world really out to get her?

She's found that it often goes both ways. There are two sides to every occasion that she would classify as a fuck-up.

Rue left her on that train; she could have stepped off at the last second.

Nate threatened her at McKay's party; she's the one who cut herself.

It's always been her against the world. She simply wishes they could come to a consensus sometime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you liked this :) leave kudos if you want but a comment would mean a lot!


	7. who do you want me to be?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"If I could be a different person, I promise you, I would. Not because I want it, but because they do."_
> 
> -
> 
> Rue knows that she is hopeless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rue is an awesome character, because i don't even like her that much but i still love her a lot. you know, she's an addict. she does a lot of shit in the name of self-interest: doesn't pay for drugs, asks lexi to pee in a tylenol bottle for her, lies at NA, etc., etc. 
> 
> but she's a really good person underneath it all. she wants normalcy. she wants someone who understands her, no questions asked. she's protective of gia. she misses her dad. 
> 
> she's just a god-damned kid.
> 
> i had some trouble coming up with something for her for a little bit, even though i wanted to write about her. i love rue, and i think she deserves better than she herself thinks she does. the quote in the summary helped this drabble write itself. enjoy.

Rue is familiar with everyone's expectations of her. 

They start out high, with whispered words of reassurance and encouragement.

Then she disappoints them. 

Every time, Rue fucks up their perception of her. 

She becomes a charity case who needs Jesus, or proper counseling, or a wardrobe change.

After that, everyone thinks they know what's best for her; what will turn her into the perfect daughter, friend, or sister.

Rue knows that she should be a better person.

But if someone were to put the words "Rue Bennett" and "good person" together in a sentence, someone else would laugh.

She's unsalvageable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked this :) do whatever with this one. read it. give it kudos. leave a comment. just... engage with it. and have fun with it. that's what fanfiction is for.


End file.
